Chandigarh, May 7 — In a key ruling over inter-state water management, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has barred the State of Punjab and its officials, including police personnel, from interfering with the daily operations and regulation of the Bhakra Nangal Dam and associated water control facilities managed by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).
The order, issued by a Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel, reinforced that exclusive authority over the functioning of the dam lies with the BBMB.
“State of Punjab and any of its functionaries including police personnel are restrained from interfering in the day-to-day functioning, operation and regulation of the Bhakra Nangal Dam and Lohand control room water regulation offices managed by BBMB,” the court ruled.
While the state has been restrained from direct involvement, the court clarified that Punjab retains the right to provide security at the site “as per law,” ensuring safety without administrative interference.
The Bench also instructed Punjab to adhere strictly to the decisions made during the meeting chaired by the Union Home Secretary on May 2, 2025.
Any dissatisfaction with BBMB decisions, the court said, must be addressed through formal mechanisms outlined in the Bhakra Beas Management Board Rules, 1974.
“If Punjab is not agreeable to any decision of the BBMB, it may invoke Explanation-II to Rule 7 of the 1974 Rules by making a representation to the Central Government through the Chairman of the BBMB,” the court said, further directing that such representations, if filed, be resolved expeditiously by the Centre.
Avoiding technical deliberation on water management itself, the court stressed its role was limited to legal interpretation, citing the judiciary’s “limited expertise” in hydrological matters.
The ruling reinforces the central governance framework of the BBMB and aims to prevent administrative friction between states over the control and distribution of shared water resources.
